Why meetings matter to designers; common pitfalls for bad meetings (and conversely, characteristics for good meetings) and tips on how to have more effective meetings.

1. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Thoughts on Meetings

2. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Why meetings?
2
Meetings are meant to:
Disseminate and update information
Address problems
Solicit input
Generate ideas
Make decisions
Solve problems
Inspire

3. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Why meetings?
3
So…what do you know
about meetings?

4. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Why meetings? | About Laura’s POV
4
Hiring Manager at:
• Utility company
• Gaming company
• Large multinational
corporation
• Software company
Sales:
• Consultant
• My own company
Mentoring/Teaching
Interacting with Users
Team Lead
Senior Management (VPs,
CEOs)
Middle Management (PMs,
Directors, other Managers)
Software Developers
QA
Artists & Writers
Clients
Subject Matter Experts
Sales Teams
Students
Consumers
Administrators
Vendors

5. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Why meetings? |Your POV
5
So…why should I care?

6. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Why meetings? |Vested interest
6
Hiring Manager at:
• Utility company
• Gaming company
• Large multinational
corporation
• Software company
Senior Management (VPs,
CEOs)
Middle Management (PMs,
Directors, other Managers)
Software Developers
QA
Artists & Writers
Clients
Subject Matter Experts
Sales Teams
Students
Consumers
Administrators
Vendors
Sales:
• Consultant
• My own company
Mentoring/Teaching
Interacting with Users
Team Lead
As a manager:
I have to be confident that
if you go to a meeting solo
the project won’t fall to
pieces and that no one will
come to me afterwards to
complain about you or my
team.
As a sales person:
My paycheck depends
on this!
As a team member:
Other people are relying
on me.
Others?
They may
think they
have better
things to do
than meet.

7. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Why meetings? |Vested interest
7
Hiring Manager at:
• Utility company
• Gaming company
• Large multinational
corporation
• Software company
Senior Management (VPs,
CEOs)
Middle Management (PMs,
Directors, other Managers)
Software Developers
QA
Artists & Writers
Clients
Subject Matter Experts
Sales Teams
Students
Consumers
Administrators
Vendors
Sales:
• Consultant
• My own company
Mentoring/Teaching
Interacting with Users
Team Lead
= Your stake
to make it a
good
meeting
might be
pretty high.
= But their
incentive to
make it a
good
meeting
might be
pretty low.

8. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist 8
Why meetings? | User Experience Iceberg

9. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Why meetings? | Life in UX
9
From Nielsen Norman Group
UX careers survey and report

10. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Why meetings? | Life in UX
10
From Nielsen Norman Group
UX careers survey and report

11. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Why meetings? | Selfishly
11
So…why should I care?
Because possibly nobody else
will…and it will impact the quality
of your work.

12. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Why meetings | Unselfishly
12
And…meetings should
have no bystanders.
A good meeting is everyone’s
responsibility. It’s should be about
co-creation

13. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Good vs. Bad
13
“Death by meeting” – sound familiar?

14. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Good vs. Bad
14
Bad Meetings
• No leader, i.e. “meeting facilitator”
• No “why”: Lacks focus, goals, agenda
• Structure: Too much or too little
• Not bringing the right information
• Wrong people: Inviting the wrong
people or “disengaged” attendees
• Getting off track
• Lacking closure, takeaways, action,
follow-up
• Too loooong
• Lacking documentation (“What did we
talk about again?”)
• Boring!

15. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Good vs. Bad
15
Bad Meetings
 83% – drift from the subject
 77% – poor preparation
 74% – questionable effectiveness
 68% – lack of listening
 62% – verbose participants
 60% – length
 51% – lack of participation
† From Achieving Effective Meetings – Not Easy But Possible, Bradford D. Smart in a survey of 635 executives.

16. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Good vs. Bad
16
Good Meetings
• Facilitator NOT dominator
• Set expectations upfront
• Focused but still open/flexible
• Anticipating what the meeting requires
(right data, materials, people, amount
of time)
• Involving all attendees in discussion,
even opposing views
• Saving time at the end to summarize
and clarify
• Getting buy-inactions
• Productive & engaging
• For your own sanity and to CYA*:
Documenting!

17. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Good vs. Bad
17
This meeting is
to
___________
so that we can
_________.
Good Meetings

18. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Good vs. Bad
18
Good Meetings = Preparation?
Yes but…

19. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Good vs. Bad
19
Consider first…
• Do we even need to have this meeting?
• Is this a topic better done offline?
• Could this be better tackled over email or
phone or face-to-face?
If you don’t need a meeting, then don’t have one!

20. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Guidelines
20
Many types of Meetings
• Impromptu/informal
• “Brainstorming”
• Introductory
• Project Kick-off
• Status update
• Presentations
• Planning
• Decision-making

21. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
• Impromptu/informal
• “Brainstorming”
• Introductory
• Project Kick-off
• Status update
• Presentations
• Planning
• Decision-making
Meeting Guidelines
21
Use Common Sense when preparing
One size fits all
approach
The “megameeting”

22. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
• Impromptu/informal
• “Brainstorming”
• Introductory
• Project Kick-off
• Status update
• Presentations
• Planning
• Decision-making
Meeting Guidelines
22
Long but flexible; proper tools; few people
Short and quick; involve few people
“Landscape” overview; involve key people
Goal-oriented; strategic; longer duration
Task-oriented; tactical; shorter duration
Persuasion; shorter duration (usually)
Task-oriented; often tactical
Persuasion; strategic, involve key people
Use Common Sense when preparing

23. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Guidelines
23
Effective meetings should
consider the right…
Goals/objectives
Attendees
Duration
Amount of debate
Context

24. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Guidelines
24
Preparing means determining
what’s the appropriate…
Format
People to involve
Length
Structure
Physical Space
Tools
Time

25. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Guidelines
25
Good meeting etiquette
Review the purpose in advance.
Know your role.
Prepare.
Arrive on time.
No distractions: Phones, email, document
editing etc.
No silent disagreementSpeak up.
Take responsibility and follow through.

26. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management
26
Managing doesn’t mean
monopolizing or bossing.

27. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Common Practices
27
Good meeting management
• Prepare: Info, tools, space etc.
• Invite right people.
• Provide a purpose and identify topics.
• Test out your technology in advance.
• Begin and end on time.
• Stick to the purpose.
• Facilitate and involve everyone.
• Wrap-up: Summarize & action items.
• Record and distribute this.

28. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Preparation
28
• Prepare: Info, tools, space etc.
• Invite right people.
• Provide a purpose and identify topics.
• Test out your technology in advance.
• Begin and end on time.
• Stick to the purpose.
• Facilitate and involve everyone.
• Wrap-up: Summarize & action items.
• Record and distribute this.
Good meeting management

29. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Preparation
29
• Schedule a time
• Find an appropriate place
• Reserve resources
• Communicate meeting time, place,
goal, agenda, and relevant docs
• If you can, create anticipation.
In advance

30. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Preparation
30
• What will make this meeting
successful?
• What would help everyone else feel
that it’s successful (and useful) too?
Consider:

31. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | People
31
• Prepare: Info, tools, space etc.
• Invite right people.
• Provide a purpose and identify topics.
• Test out your technology in advance.
• Begin and end on time.
• Stick to the purpose.
• Facilitate and involve everyone.
• Wrap-up: Summarize & action items.
• Record and distribute this.
Good meeting management

32. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | People
32
People who can help achieve meeting goals
Ex. people working on project
Ex. specialists
Ex. decision makers who need to sign-off
Who needs to participate?

33. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | People
33
• Meeting Facilitator
• Notetaker/Action Items Keeper
• WhiteboardWrangler/Sketcher
• Time Keeper
• “Parking Lot” Attendant
Who will take on what role?

34. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Agenda
34
• Prepare: Info, tools, space etc.
• Invite right people.
• Provide a purpose and identify topics.
• Test out your technology in advance.
• Begin and end on time.
• Stick to the purpose.
• Facilitate and involve everyone.
• Wrap-up: Summarize & action items.
• Record and distribute this.
Good meeting management

35. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Agenda
35
Communicate goals (agenda items) to
participants beforehand
• Type of meeting
• Decisions needing resolution
• Topics requiring further discussion
• Time allotted to each
Let participants know how to prepare
and/or contribute to agenda items
Go over agenda before, during, and after
Provide a purpose

36. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Agenda
36
Frame and provide context to issue(s)
Discuss/generate options (optional)
Determine how decisions will be made
• Consensus
• Voting
• Top-down
• Getting more data
Provide a purpose

37. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Agenda
37
There’s no rule that meetings have to be
boring.
Mix it up:
• Play a video
• Bring tangible items
• Participatory design
• Tell an anecdote
• Voting dots
Provoke ideas and debate

38. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Agenda
38
• Prepare: Info, tools, space etc.
• Invite right people.
• Provide a purpose and identify topics.
• Test out your technology in advance.
• Begin and end on time.
• Stick to the purpose.
• Facilitate and involve everyone.
• Wrap-up: Summarize & action items.
• Record and distribute this.
Good meeting management

39. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Facilitation
39
• Establish roles and responsibilities
• Revisit/remind everyone of the goals
and agenda items if necessary
• Keep the meeting on track. Enlist the
help of:
- “Parking Lot” attendant
- Time Keeper
Prevent offroading

40. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Facilitation
40
Different roles…
Recognize what role you’re playing
The Initiator Suggests new / different ideas /
approaches
Opinion Giver States pertinent beliefs about the
discussion or others' suggestions
Elaborator Builds on suggestions made by others
Information
Seeker
Asks questions about group’s gaps in
knowledge
Orienteer Is group going in right directions,
in terms of what to do and how?

41. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Facilitation
41
Helpful roles/styles
Tension
Reliever
Uses humor or calls for a break at appropriate moments
Compromiser Willing to yield when necessary for progress
Clarifier Offers rationales, probes for meaning, restates problems
Tester Raises questions to test if group ready to decide
Summarizer Tries to pull discussion together, reviews progress so far
Harmonizer Mediates differences of opinion, reconciles points of view
Encourager Praises and supports others in their contributions
Gate Keeper Keeps communications open, creates opportunities for
participation

42. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Facilitation
42
Not-so-helpful roles/styles
Aggressor Deflates status of others, disagrees and criticizes
Blocker Stubbornly disagrees, cites unrelated material, returns
to old topics
Withdrawer Doesn’t participate, private/side conversations
Recognition
Seeker
Boasts and talks excessively
Dominator Tries to take over, asserts authority, manipulates group
Special Pleader Draws attention to own concerns vs. group
Comedian Shows off, tells funny stories, nonchalant, cynical
Narcissist Talks irrelevantly of own feelings and insights
Devil's Advocate More devil than advocate!

43. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Facilitation
43
You may have to stretch from your
“default” style
Aim for diversity in styles

44. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Facilitation
44
What’s your “read” on the room?
How are attendees reacting?
What’s their body language saying?
Look for nonverbal cues

45. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Facilitation
45
Underscore that everyone should contribute
Draw out everyone:
Prompt:
“Alice, haven’t you done this in your work?What was your
experience?"
“Bob, you’ve been rather quiet to this point, do you have
an opinion or an idea?”
Consider breaking larger group into smaller groups to
develop input—some do better in small groups.
Talk to quieter people in advance of meeting and solicit
their input.
Dealing with quiet people

46. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Facilitation
46
Rules of thumb:
Praise people twice as much as you criticize
Never let any good deed or action go unnoticed
Say thank you publicly at every meeting
Recognize the value of everyone’s contributions
Dealing with everyone

47. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Facilitation
47
If the topic isn’t going anywhere or is stuck in
a rut, consider revisiting it later…
And thinking about what you can do
differently next time.
Getting conversations going

48. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Facilitation
48
• Prepare: Info, tools, space etc.
• Invite right people.
• Provide a purpose and identify topics.
• Test out your technology in advance.
• Begin and end on time.
• Stick to the purpose.
• Facilitate and involve everyone.
• Wrap-up: Summarize & action items.
• Record and distribute this.
Good meeting management

49. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Afterwards
49
Wrap-up/Summary
In Meeting: Quickly recap
• Everyone knows who is responsible for what
• Any agreed on deadlines/dates
After Meeting: Summarize & distribute
• Any decisions made & rationale
• Any relevant images (whiteboard/sketches)
• Who weighed in
• Decisions that need more input
• Deliverables and deadlines:Who, what &
why
• Next steps/future meetings

50. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Meeting Management | Afterwards
50
A sidenote about Agile
Official Documentation:
May be minimal—sketches, backlog
Unofficially:
• Note down decision-making process (who,
what and why)
• Again…CYA

51. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist 51
That’s all folks? No…
• How did the meeting go? What could
I/we do better?
• How to keep momentum going?
• How to ensure action items get done?
• How to keep everyone in the know?
• How to best follow up?
Meeting Management | Afterwards

52. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Resources
52
Some tools to look at
• Scheduling:Doodle
• Task management: Asana, Basecamp
• Notes: Evernote or Minutes.io
• All-in-one: Meetin.gs
• Agile: Outformations deck and
Versionone checklists

53. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist
Resources
53
Additional Reading:
INC.com
http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/08/how-to-run-effective-meeting.html
Parker, Glenn. Meeting Excellence: 33Tools to Lead MeetingsThat Get Results.
Lencioni, Patrick. Death by Meeting.
BUSINESSWEEK
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/sep2006/sb20060927_259688.ht
m
HC Wedgewood's Fewer Camels, More Horses:Where Committees Go Wrong.
Personnel,Vol 44, No 4, July-Aug 1967, pp62-87.

54. © 2011-16 by L Ballay | @uxstrategist 54
questions?